


The Arbiter

by ink_dragon



Series: The Arbiter Saga [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance, Shipping, Tokka - Freeform, Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:42:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28051113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_dragon/pseuds/ink_dragon
Summary: It is five years after the end of war and Ozai’s defeat. Team Avatar is in the midst of bringing balance back to the world and garnering peace between the nations. The young Fire Lord Zuko invites Aang, Katara and the rest of the old gang to the fire nation for a special spiritual and cultural restoration project within the Fire Nation. However, events turn terribly astray when Aang’s body is trapped in the spirit world by a malevolent force, known simply as the Arbiter. It falls to the unlikely duo of Zuko and Katara to travel to the world in search of a way to save the Avatar.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Sokka
Series: The Arbiter Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2101782
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Important background info: This story deviates from the canon in several important ways in order to make it work. The events of the graphic novels which follow the TV series are either altered or completely disregarded in this story, as I haven’t read them. If the stories were to be written in light novel form, then perhaps I would stand a better chance of reading them, but graphic novels give me headaches. However, events from the Rise of Kyoshi novels will be included in the story and there are some major spoilers coming in Chapter 2. You have been warned. 
> 
> Pay close attention to perspective in this story, as it switches from time to time. That is because there are parts of the story which I want to tell from Katara’s perspective, and other parts from Zuko’s, as well as some checking in with what the other characters are doing during their adventures as they will have their own roles to play.

Prologue

Fire Lord Zuko held the cup of jasmine tea to his face. The dead man sat across him. He could almost feel the slight swaying of a deck beneath him this time as he looked at the face of his dead uncle Iroh, surrounded by the familiar spartan quarters of the small Fire Nation navy ship they had once sailed the world in.

“Ah, nephew” Iroh intoned in his familiar, gravelly voice, “the white jasmine tea is always delicious at this time of year, is it not?” 

Zuko examined his sleeve as he gingerly set the teacup down on the table. It was deep red, nearly the color of blood, a shade which was exclusively reserved for the Fire Lord’s wardrobe. Fine golden thread encircled the wide arm hole, creating a delicate pattern of dancing flame.  
So this is a dream, thought Zuko with some amazement, and not an ordinary memory from the past. 

The vision of Iroh was correct about the tea. It was the week of the summer solstice, the most auspicious time of year in the Fire Nation. The young leaves were always gathered in the early days of the season, between the gentle rains of spring and the full summer sun. Zuko decided to ignore the question and get straight to the point this time. “You are dead, uncle,” he said with a wan smile. 

Iroh’s open and pleasant expression remained unchanged, as if the news of his apparent demise didn’t trouble him. Or, Zuko thought with chagrin, the specter simply hadn’t heard. He watched his uncle lift the teacup to his face and drain its contents. Iroh finished with a satisfied sigh, his face suddenly turning serious. “My son, I have an important message for you concerning the Avatar.” 

The unusually personal address and his uncle’s direct manner gave him pause. Along with the nearly life-like details of the dream, this was clearly a vision that held much spiritual significance. Many times Zuko had dreamed of sitting with his uncle, often in these exact surroundings, which ironically held the most sentimental memories that the Fire Lord had of his departed mentor. Many times he felt that the visions were fueled by his own emotions - he had missed his uncle Iroh fiercely in recent months. At those times, the dreams felt more like a one-way mirror where Zuko could watch a conversation play out between his uncle and himself, recollecting a fond memory or searching for some piece of wisdom he had lost in the intervening years. However,at other times the dream felt like a scene that he could interact with. There were usually two types of these: one like a soliloquy, where Zuko could speak at length to his uncle, describing his recent triumphs and struggles to the man. But Iroh wouldn’t or couldn’t speak back. Other times, the roles were reversed. His uncle would beseech some message or words of wisdom to him, but Zuko could not respond. At those times, Zuko would try to ask for clarification or give some input to the conversation only to find that his tongue was made of lead, or that only the barest whisper could escape his lips, as if his vocal cords had been turned to stone.

So far, this dream felt like the latter type. But as usual, he couldn’t keep himself from urging his uncle to be more precise. “Is Aang alright?” he said in a clear voice, much to his surprise. 

Across from him Iroh smiled warmly, as if hearing his nephew’s voice was as much a comfort to him as his own voice was to Zuko. “He is safe for the time being, but I fear that he will be in grave danger soon. When the sun is at its zenith-”.

Zuko woke suddenly with a soft touch on his shoulder. He lurched forward in an instant, throwing the covers away from his body in the same movement. A man took several hasty steps away from him as he did so. Even in the deep shadows created by the light of pre-dawn filtering into the room through thick curtains, Zuko could see that it was his chief assistant, Liu Bang, the only man who was at liberty to enter his private chambers and wake the Fire Lord. 

“My lord, please forgive me,” the slight man said quickly, prostrating himself towards Zuko. He was only half way himself, his lack of headdress revealing a slight bald spot as he angled his body in deference towards his young lord. “You had asked me to wake you…”.

Zuko cut him off with a glare so fierce that it could be felt even with his face turned towards the floor. The man visibly shuddered and began lowering himself further to the ground. Zuko exhaled deeply, releasing a long, slow breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding. “Enough of that, stand up and report.”

The older, shorter man nodded slightly. “Yes, my lord,” he said formally as he resumed a standing position. Zuko could not help but scowl. He detested this overly formal manner that seemed to have been beaten into his nation like layers of steel folded into a sword. It was nearly dawn, and the Fire Lord would be ready to rise to meet the day’s challenges by this time. There were innumerable projects that required the Fire Lord’s attention every day that affected all five of the Fire islands. However, this intrusion was unfortunately timed. Having such a vivid dream dashed away by an overly obedient servant was ill luck to say the least, and given the nature of the message it was an ill omen as well. 

As if reading his train of thought, the man produced a small scroll and said, “a message from the Avatar arrived late in the night. He and his companions departed from the Earth kingdom a few days ago and are expected to arrive before midday today. The palace is already awake and in chaos. Most of the staff had expected a few more days to prepare...” 

The Fire Lord smirked. It was incredible how easily his people forgot that Avatar Aang preferred to travel by flying bison, opting for swiftness over comfort. Appa could make the trip from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation in a matter of days. No doubt, his retinue of Air acolytes, Kyoshi warriors and other hangers on had departed weeks ahead of the Avatar. Nevertheless, Aang and his closest friends would arrive first. 

The Fire Lord glanced over the minor details of the message scroll and nodded to Liu Bang. “Very good. The palace will find some way to cope I am sure. I will personally give them a tour of the palace and keep them busy until tonight.” 

The man bowed in deference towards his young lord. As the Fire Lord’s chief assistant, it was more fitting for him to take care of small matters such as tours and helping guests settle in, but it was understandable in this case that Zuko wanted to escort them personally. 

“Please leave me now. Do not let anyone disturb me until further notice. Include the usual exceptions.” 

His advisor bowed slightly. “Yes, Lord Zuko. I expect you will be needing help with your garments before I depart?” He asked in a somewhat proprietary manner. The elaborate court dress of the Fire Lord was difficult to don without assistance. 

“No,” said the Fire Lord. “I am going back to sleep.”


	2. I

Katara dreamed that she was flying. Below her, a verdant carpet of trees extended from horizon to horizon. She soared above it, her arms flung wide like a bird’s wings. The wind blew her long hair back as she sped onward towards the horizon, faster and faster. Suddenly a tree much larger than all the rest appeared before her, rising high above its leafy brethren. A memory tickled at the edge of her awareness as the somehow familiar sight loomed before her.

Katara...

She heard her name called out as a faint echo somewhere in the distance. A patch of green suddenly detached itself from the tree and flew towards her. She saw that it had golden eyes. 

Katara.

It spoke to her in a voice from her past, but she could not place the rough baritone. They sped onward towards one another, threatening to collide. She could make out a long, slender body and a tail spirally outwards. 

Katara!

She woke with a start and tumbled backwards towards the edge of the saddle. For one panicked moment she could almost feel the weightlessness of free-fall as her body threatened to tip into the blue abyss. A strong but slender hand pulled her back to safety. The stormy grey eyes of her friend looked into her own with concern. 

“What?” she said faintly, her mind still half submerged in sleep as her body reeled at the shock of waking up in such a way. 

“Look!” Aang made a quiet exclamation, stretching his arm out. His blue arrowed hand pointed towards several plumes of smoke in the distance. His other hand was still clasped around Katara’s arm. 

“We’re here.” Katara said simply as she gazed towards the horizon with the Avatar. She became faintly aware of another figure stirring somewhere beside them. Toph snorted and muttered something sleepily as she turned away from them, covering her ears. 

“Wake up, sleepy head,” Aang teased, removing his hand from around Katara’s forearm to poke the earthbender in the back. Already a group of jagged triangles was beginning to form where the vast sea met the dawn sky. The pale light of the rising sun glowed warmly behind them.

“I finally fall asleep for once, and you two make so much noise!” Toph complained. “I don’t know why I agreed to even come up here.“ She added quietly to herself. 

“Zuko asked me to invite you specifically,” Aang explained, repeating himself for the dozenth time. 

“But why?” Toph responded. She sounded like a child who had just learned that her parents will never stop talking to her if she repeats that one-word question. 

Aang shrugged before remembering that she couldn’t feel the gesture while they were on Appa. “It just said that your earthbending might be able to help him solve an impossible problem.” Appealing to Toph’s pride in her abilities was always the best way to appease her. 

She grumbled and turned away from him. “Wake me up when we’re on solid ground. Then I’ll be happy.”

“I hope you all packed your summer clothes,” the familiar voice of her brother called from atop Appa’s head. “It’s going to be a real scorcher.” 

The approach to the Fire Islands was spectacular. Aang had pulled out a spy glass and was handing it to Katara after taking a look for himself. She held the metal and glass instrument to her eye. In the stark light of dawn, she could just barely make out terraced fields spiralling up the side of a distant mountain. Sokka appeared next to her, palm open in the universal gesture of let me see. Katara looked into his weary face. He had flown Appa during the night so that the rest of them could get some sleep. Katara handed him the spyglass and pulled some food out of her pack for a quick breakfast. Aang graciously accepted a mango from her and began to carefully half it with an ice knife he had bent for himself.

“Do you think we’ll get to visit the temple today?” Aang asked as he carefully removed the stone pit from the fruit. Momo appeared from behind his back and snatched half of his mango from him. 

Katara looked to where the Fire Nation was quickly approaching. “I don’t think so,” she admitted. “The solstice isn’t for a few more days. Besides, didn’t Zuko say that it was being built on the other side of the main island?” 

By the time that the Royal Caldera appeared as a low, flat-topped hill on the horizon, Sokka was snoring. The sun had risen to mid morning and Sokka was right, it was a real scorcher. Aang had stripped himself to the waist. From his place on Appa’s head Katara could just see his muscular back. As if feeling her stare, the Avatar looked back at her and smiled when he noticed her looking. She smiled back. At one time, not so long ago, the sight of a hunky Aang might have made her swoon, but things have been different between them lately. She could only see the strong back of a friend who she had been through so much with.

Her gaze shifted to where Sokka and Toph had fallen asleep in an undignified heap together. Now there was a puzzle she couldn’t figure out. Despite constant teasing and friendly insults on the surface, she had seen the two share surprisingly tender moments when they thought no-one was watching. She would have to weedle it out of them somehow during this trip.

Soon the outskirts of the Fire Nation capital were materializing below them. Royal Caldera city had been built in the shell of an old volcano. The circular city streets all spiraled towards a large palace at the center, where the Fire Lord lived and ruled. That Fire Lord was none other than Zuko, their enemy turned ally. Aang had visited Zuko several times over the years on official Avatar business, but it had been almost four years since Katara had lain eyes on the firebender. 

The palace was a lofty ‘Y’ shaped building surrounded by open courtyards and a thick wall. Terra cotta roofing tiles shone brightly in the sunlight as Appa descended slowly towards the palace gates, which stood open in welcome. A lone figure stood by the threshold awaiting them. Is that Zuko? Thought Katara, but they were already close enough that she could make out the muddy red patch of his tell-tale scar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One question I've been asking myself while writing this chapter: am I friendzoning Aang too hard? These first few chapters are short, as changing perspective is key to setting up the story.


	3. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER WARNING: This chapter mentions major plot elements from the Kyoshi novel series (The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi)

Zuko stood at the threshold of the palace gates. A messenger hawk had arrived within the hour that the sky bison had been spotted making landfall in the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord would not be caught unaware by his guests. He insisted on meeting alone with them, although palace guards were waiting in the wings around the large brick cobbled courtyard that marked the approach to the palace. The Fire Lord must have the trappings of a lord if he wishes to command the respect of his counsel. The memory of his uncle’s voice echoed in his mind. Were they words truly said by Iroh during their exiled life together, or were they the words of a dream phantom? It made Zuko uneasy to think that he couldn’t tell the difference. 

After Liu Bang let himself out of his bedroom, Zuko had tried to return to the dream of his uncle’s warning. All he succeeded in doing was falling into a restless, dreamless sleep for less than an hour before the urgent message had arrived about a sky bison being spotted approaching the south-eastern chain of islands. A sudden gust of wind blew his fine robes around him in a swirl of red fabric. The yard had been so thoroughly scoured and swept that no dust threatened to blow up into his eyes. We are nothing if not clean and tidy, Zuko thought dryly. He heard the sound of bells coming from the surrounding city. 

“The Avatar has been spotted,” Liu Bang stated uselessly. He did not need to raise his voice to be heard. The courtyard was completely silent except for the dolorous ringing in the distance. A moment later, the blocky silhouette of a sky bison appeared in the pale blue expanse of sky above the palace walls. The creature circled them before finally deciding to land just outside the palace gates. The bison touched ground with a gentle ‘thud’ that echoed in the flat courtyard. The Fire Lord stepped forward to greet the small party that was now disembarking from Appa’s saddle. He heard Toph crying “earth sweet earth!” before throwing herself completely prone on the threshold of the royal palace. 

Aang bounded down from atop the creature’s head and buoyed himself with a pocket of air, landing as softly and slowly as a falling petal. He looked right into the Fire Lord’s eyes. Out of any of these, Aang had spent by far the most time helping Zuko bring peace and order to his reign. For that he was grateful, but now he sensed that the Avatar was weighing him with those cool grey eyes of his. Whatever he was looking for, Aang smiled almost sadly when he found it. Zuko was about to approach and formally greet him when Sokka and Katara suddenly appeared, sliding down Appa’s flat tail like two giddy school children on an ice slide. Sokka’s body skidded to a halt on the cobbled bricks. His sister slid right into his backside with an exclamation. 

“Welcome, Avatar and friends. It’s good to see you all,” he said warmly. 

“It’s good to see you too, sparky!” said the blind earthbender. Sokka snickered. 

Zuko raised an eyebrow at her and decided not to point out the obvious. Instead, he turned to Aang. The two of them clasped forearms in a masculine greeting. “Fire Lord Zuko, nice to see you again my good hotman,” the Avatar said briskly, using an archaic Fire Nation slang that always got at Zuko’s nerves. It was an inside joke between them. 

“Greetings Fire Lord, uh, sir,” Sokka said, making a gesture that was half salute and half bow, unsure of what the proper address was. 

“Just Zuko is fine for us, for all of you,” he said easily.

“Hey, Just Zuko,” Katara teased, appearing from behind her brother to clasp his forearm in the same manner as Aang.

Zuko smiled and shook his head. “For women, it's like this,” he said, sliding his arm through her grip and clasping her wrist gently. He lifted her small, brown hand briefly to his lips. As he let go of her hand he looked up and saw the barest hint of a blush as she turned away to join Aang. 

Toph raised a hand at him. “I’m good, your highness, if that’s okay with you.” 

“Fine with me,” he said. “Along with the Avatar, you’re our guest of honor.” Toph gave a look of satisfaction before joining the rest of the party inside the courtyard. As soon as Appa’s huge bulk was inside, the thick palace gates closed behind them. “Please join me for a quick tour of the palace. Then I can show you to your accommodations and arrange for refreshments. We will have a small reception party for you tonight.” 

“Wait, tonight?” Katara inquired. “Shouldn’t we wait for the rest of the party to arrive first?” 

“Yeah we’re just the first ones here,” Sokka chimed in. 

Zuko was not perturbed. “This is just a small reception for the Avatar and his closest friends. My chancellor insisted. We will have a much larger event after the temple inauguration.”

They agreed to a short tour. Zuko led them through the courtyard after they had installed Appa in the area outside of the stables. A flight of stairs led them to a set of gilded doors that were tall enough to allow two sky bison stacked on top of one another to walk through. Blood red walls traced with golden hues reached up to the high ceiling, where small slitted gaps allowed the sunlight to beam down above their heads. He led them through the palace, skipping past the minutia and opting for the main areas they would need to remember for the next few days: the dining hall, the kitchen, and the other areas open to guests. He then led them to a section that was completely dedicated to Fire Nation art and culture. There were suits of armor that looked like the hard outer shell of some sort of iron beetle, which dated back to ancient times. Dual swords stood on display, their blue steel blades half drawn from ornate sheaths, which were works of art in their own right. The walls were decorated with a myriad of drawings, calligraphy, and poetry. Most of these artifacts belonged to past Fire Lords, and many dated back centuries before the unification of the five Fire Islands into a single nation. While most of his guests were completely enraptured by the beautiful objects on display, Toph was visibly bored. It wasn’t difficult to tell why. 

He gave them a few moments to browse, answering any questions they had about the displays. Sokka was examining a suit of armor closely, his eyes furrowed in confusion. “What good would heavy armor like this do against a firebender? It’s covered in lacquer. Wouldn’t he just cook his opponent alive in it?” 

Zuko nodded. “It was purely ceremonial, part of the original tradition of agni kai.” The full ceremony was called an Affair of Honor. When one man felt that his honor had been insulted, he would remove a glove and toss it at the feet of the offending party. This would signal that he would expect a public letter of apology, or else the argument would escalate. Failing to receive a letter, the insulted party would send a friend or ally to request an apology in person. This person was referred to as a “second”. Getting a person of high status or rank to stand as your second was a safe strategy for ending the affair, but failing that the conflict would escalate even further. The two parties would meet dressed in ceremonial armor, which was as decorative as it was impractical. The idea behind the armor was to intimidate the opponent with a display of wealth and power. Only after this final precaution proved insufficient to make the other party back down would an agni kai ensue. By comparison, the modern ceremony of the agni kai seemed quite rash to Zuko’s mind. 

Zuko noticed that Katara was enchanted by an elaborate dressing gown which was decorated with hand-embroidered wave patterns and fish. It was probably worn by the matriarch of a high status clan. “It’s incredible,” she said breathlessly, running her hands just above the curl of an intricately woven wave.

“You can touch it if you like,” Zuko said quietly. He noticed how the shimmering blue fabric matched the blue of her eyes. He tried to imagine Katara wearing such a gown, but could only conjure an image of her wearing the blue traveling clothes that she always wore. 

“This is the most Water Tribe thing I’ve seen outside of the poles,” she said, glancing up at him. 

“The Fire Nation has always had a close relationship with the seas, believe it or not,” he explained. 

“Seeing as how it's a group of islands, I guess that makes sense,” she said with a smile. Suddenly something in the distance caught her attention. Zuko turned his head with her and saw Aang in the next room, looking up at a portrait of Avatar Roku. 

The huge painting was larger than life size. The face had been painted in stunning detail so that it appeared as if every silver hair of Roku’s beard was accounted for. However, most of the area around his form was only lightly painted in. A rough sketch of a ball of flame was painted above a piece of bare canvas where the Avatar’s hand had just been blocked out in light washes of ink. 

“Zuko, I had no idea that you had commissioned a portrait of Avatar Roku! It looks just like him,” Aang said, his eyes sparkling moistly. 

“Avatar Roku was my great grandfather on my mother’s side,” he explained. Sokka wandered over from where he had been eyeing a sword, with Toph trailing after him gloomily. 

“So Aang’s like, your brother from another mother? No wait, he’s like your cousin!” Sokka chimed in. 

“No, smarty pants!” Toph knuckled him on the arm. 

“Is that why you’re having a portrait done of him?” Katara asked as she looked over to the other side of the room. There was a whole wall filled with dozens of portraits there. Each man depicted there wore the five flames hairpin that was the signature of the Fire Lord. At the end of the line stood a lone painting that was still mostly bare except for a light ink sketch. The identity of the man in the drawing was easy enough for anyone to guess. A large dark patch covered one side of his face. 

“Not exactly,” he explained. “Now I’ll show you why I’ve brought you here.” 

He led them to a small storage room behind the gallery. There were stacks of what looked at first to be blank canvases, all around the same size as the portraits. Upon closer examination, he could see the sketches which had faded with age. He invited Aang to take a closer look at them. The airbender examined them at length before asking, “these are past Fire Avatars?” 

Zuko nodded. “Exactly. There are hundreds of portraits here, all stripped of their paint.” 

Katara scowled. “That’s horrible! Who would do such a thing to them? Was it Sozin?” 

The Fire Lord held up his palm and shook his head. “No, this was done long before his time, when Avatar Kyoshi was still young.” Kyoshi lived to be nearly three hundred years old. Sozin’s ambition and the Fire Nation’s genocidal hunt for the Avatar were not even a shadow of a twinkle in his great ancestor’s eyes then. “At that time, there was a false Avatar who was a powerful earthbender. He bent the pigments right off the canvases and used them to attack Kyoshi and the palace guards.” He looked to Toph. “This is part of the impossible task I have in mind for you.” 

Everyone was stunned into silence for a moment. Sokka recovered first, shaking his head as if to dispel an invisible fog. “Wait, back up. A false Avatar? How is that possible?” 

Zuko nodded slowly. “It's not something that most of the world remembers, but the Fire Nation has never been able to forget. At least not until my forefather’s ambitions stripped us of our memories.”

Toph surprised him by saying, “In the Beifong family, we remember him too.His name was Yun, and he was responsible for the death of one of my distant ancestors. The reason why the wise men thought he was the Avatar was because he somehow learned a unique earthbending technique that only Avatar Kuruk was able to master. And he was a natural genius when it came to earthbending, like you said.” She smiled viciously then, “I’m a natural genius too, though, and Yun never learned to metalbend. Consider your impossible challenge accepted, Zuko.” 

Aang looked between them with astonishment. “False Avatars? Bending pigment? Why haven’t I heard of this before? You think that someone might consider the story important enough to tell me, the Avatar!” 

Toph snickered. “Sorry twinkletoes, I only just remembered the story when Zuko mentioned it now. 

Zuko nodded in agreement. “And I only learned a few weeks before I sent you that letter, Aang. I discovered these paintings as well as most of the other artwork hidden away in an upper level of the palace. Then I had my chancellor help me search the library for information about them. It took me months to find Fire Lord Zoryu’s personal journals, which explained the blank canvases.” 

“Hold on a second, how is Toph supposed to help restore these paintings if there’s no pigment left on them?” Katara asked. “And how is she supposed to paint if she can’t see?”

“I got one answer for both questions, sweetness,” Toph grinned. “With earthbending!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of this chapter, I have just finished re-watching the entire AT:LA series! There were some things at the end of Book 3 that I had forgotten about that will be great to mention in later chapters. Chapter 3 is in the works and its going to be a longer one! Also, liking the story so far? Feel free to leave a comment about how you feel ^^


	4. III

That evening, Katara and the others changed out of their dirty traveling clothes and put on their most suitable outfits for the Avatar’s banquet. Katara decided to wear an outfit very similar to the one she had “borrowed” while traveling undercover in the Fire Nation during the war. She wore an airy confection of a gown made with sheer, salmon colored fabric with baby pink pearls sewn into the hem. Underneath she wore a simple red shirt which left one shoulder and her midriff bare and a burgundy colored pair of loose-fitting trousers. She added a touch of makeup with red eyeshadow to match her theme. She chose to keep her mother’s betrothal necklace, even though it clashed with the rest of her outfit. When she left Toph’s quarters where the two women had been dressing for the evening, they met with Aang and Sokka. From the way Aang was gawking at her, she knew that she had done well. 

Sokka made a rude noise. “Toph, you didn’t even change!” He complained.

“Yes I did,” she shot back at him. “I put on clean clothes!” Toph had donned her usual Earth Kingdom garb. While it wasn’t unsuitable for the kind of small event that the Fire Lord had proposed, it wasn’t anything special.

“You know what I mean,” he said, his cheeks burning. Katara and Aang exchanged a glance. 

“I wanted to do her makeup,” Katara offered, “but she said she’d probably just forget that it was there and rub it off by accident during dinner.” Knowing the earthbender’s table manners, she had agreed that she would probably do better off without it.

“If I don’t care what I look like, then why should anyone else do it for me?” She said, standing her ground. 

A servile looking man interrupted their conversation to ask whether or not they needed help finding the garden. They nodded and followed him down to the main level of the palace and out to an open air courtyard. Covered walkways bordered the square space, with numerous paths leading into the tailored landscape beyond. In the center of the cobbled square were groups of long, rectangular tables lined up in neat rows. Peach colored lanterns were strung up on poles between the tables. Below the grand dais where the Fire Lord would ostensibly sit, there was an empty table filled with fresh fruits and peppers of all kinds in large bowls. There were loaves of bread with butter, cheeses, and even a small bowl of nuts. Momo leapt away from his perch on Aang’s shoulder and began attacking the latter dish. A few low murmurs and even a chuckle wafted over from the tables farther off, where the other guests were mingling. They followed and seated themselves.

“This is what Zuko considered a small affair?” Sokka asked in a low voice. There were at least two hundred people in the space including servants and waiters. It had been a long time since Katara was last invited to a fancy dinner party, and she wasn’t about to complain, but she had hoped for a smaller affair as well. She needed an opportunity to talk to Zuko about something in private, and she probably wasn’t going to get one until at least after the meal. 

Suddenly, the Fire Lord emerged from the palace behind them. The hushed sound of hundreds of people becoming still swept through the open courtyard as he stepped down the stairs towards the dais. He was followed by his chancellor, a middle aged man he had introduced earlier as Liu Bang. Only when Zuko was seated did the other guests seat themselves again. Zuko cleared his throat. “Aang, thank you for coming to our great nation. This small gathering is in your honor. Over one hundred years ago, it was customary for outdoor banquets such as this to be given for honorable guests to the palace. I hope to revive this tradition during my reign.” 

Sokka began clapping softly after this small speech but stopped upon seeing that no-one else was joining him. He suppressed a grunt as Toph kicked him underneath the table. They began the meal by taking small bites of the table's various offerings. Aang bit into a pepper at Sokka’s urging. His face turned red and when he hiccuped, a tiny flame burst from his mouth, bringing nervous titters from the tables around then.

Liu Bang approached them, his hands fidgeting anxiously and asked if everything was alright. Evidently, firebending so close to the Fire Lord was frowned upon. After the others had reassured him, Katara put her elbow on the table and raised a hand to get his attention. “Are all these people part of the court?” she wondered. 

The man looked at her with his small, bronze eyes and nodded. “Yes, Lord Zuko’s counselors, certain higher officers of the guards and military and their families. His court is very small, considering the size of the palace. Many levels have not been lived in for over one hundred years.” 

Responding to some signal from the dais, Liu Bang excused himself and went to join the other guests below. The main courses arrived soon after. Katara had ordered a kind of cooked fish she had never heard of. The skin was brown and crispy, with juicy white meat inside. She had ordered it partly because of what Zuko said earlier about the Fire Nation’s ties to the seas, but mainly because it was the only thing on the menu that wasn’t served with peppers. Sokka ordered fish as well, while Toph had simply asked for the hottest thing on the menu. Aang was eating a vegetarian yam and pepper curry over steamed rice.

After a time, Zuko came down from his high throne and began talking with each of them. She overheard Toph discussing her ideas for restoring the blank canvases, while Aang and Sokka dared each other to eat more peppers. Their faces were both drenched in sweat, and they were soon ordering servants to bring entire pitchers of water to fuel their contest. 

Katara sighed. “My brothers can be so embarrassing sometimes,” she said quietly. 

“Brothers?” Zuko remarked, suddenly materializing beside her. 

“Yeah, that’s how I think of them. They’re so alike, and sometimes I feel like all of us grew up together in a way.” She explained. Then she suddenly remembered her business with the Fire Lord. “Hey, Zuko, do you think we can talk somewhere privately for a moment?”

He nodded and gestured for her to follow him behind the dais. There was a short stairway she hadn’t noticed before which led to a lower part of the garden. She could hear water running like a miniature waterfall somewhere nearby. Beds of captive wildflowers were expertly plotted beside a slow-moving artificial river. Small gold and white fish swam lazily with the current, their scales flashing in the dim light of the waning moon. She felt that they had just stepped out of the world of the royal palace and into a verdant wilderness. They followed the river to where it fed into a small pond surrounded by neatly trimmed bushes and a small, blossoming tree. Zuko sat down on a stone bench. A family of turtleducks was resting peacefully nearby.

“This is my favorite place to think and talk privately,” he explained. “So, what’s the matter? Is everything OK?” He looked at her with so much concern, she worried that she must have looked nervous when she asked him to speak privately.

“Oh, it's not a big deal, really,” she said, suddenly awkward as she rolled the pearls on her dress between her fingers. “I just wanted to ask if I could have my own room in the palace.” 

“Your own room?” he repeated, not understanding the request. 

“Yeah, you gave Sokka and Toph their own rooms but I’m sharing the Avatar’s suite with Aang. If it's a problem I can stay there I guess. It's like a royal apartment all on its own.” she laughed anxiously. 

“It's not a problem, but…” he trailed off, not sure if it would be polite or not to ask his next question. 

“Aang and I are… taking a break,” she offered helpfully so he wouldn’t have to ask for himself. There, she had let herself say it out loud for the first time. She tasted the words and noted the hint of bitterness. The truth was that she and Aang had been growing apart for some time, but they were so busy with their own pursuits that the topic had hardly been mentioned. That is, until Aang broached the subject with her on their way to the Fire Nation, just days ago. 

“Oh, I see.” He said blankly. Neither of them moved for a few breaths, not sure whether or not to say something or to walk back to the party now with that awkward bit of conversation out of the way. Katara walked over to the pond and sat at the bench across from Zuko. She looked into the water and saw the sliver of a crescent moon and the stars reflected there. She thought of the other night spent with Aang, under a moon that had been more full than this one was now. She had leaned in to kiss him and it was so instinctual, that she hardly even noticed when he had pulled away. “Katara, I think we need to talk....” was what he had said, before turning her world upside down, like the world in the reflected pool. 

A small movement across from her drew her mind out of her own thoughts, and when she looked up, she saw Zuko reach into his sleeve and pull out a small bread crust. As if on cue, the family of turtleducks suddenly sprang to life and waddled towards the Fire Lord, quacking softly. He began tearing the chunk of bread into smaller pieces and scattering them among the grass. 

Katara giggled. “They know you, so you must do this a lot.” 

He gave her a sad smile. “My mother used to do this with me.” 

She had almost forgotten about Zuko’s mother, who disappeared when he was only a child, leaving him with his emotionally distant father and his cruel sister. Katara stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry you couldn’t find her.” she said quietly. 

He sat as still as if he were made of the same stone of the bench, looking down at his hands while the turtleducks chattered away at him. After what seemed like a long time had passed, he said “we should get back to the party.” He let the remaining bread crust fall from his hands, unbroken. 

Katara followed him back up the stairs towards the dais when Liu Bang appeared in front of them. “Ah, there you are Lord Zuko! Would you and your lady friend like to lead the dance?” 

Zuko gave her a look that was half a question and half a cry for help. She shrugged, then nodded at him as if to say sure, why not? 

The two of them walked out from behind the dais and descended the front staircase. At some time during their chat, the tables had been moved aside to make room for an improvised dance floor. She was acutely aware of the other guests as their collective silent gaze fell on them. 

Zuko took her hand shyly as she placed the other on his shoulder. “You don’t happen to know any courtly dances, do you?” he asked under his breath.

“No, but I do know how to improvise,” she returned helpfully.

He nodded once, and they took a step together, Katara following in his lead. It wasn’t difficult to get the basic rhythm down. They moved to the sonorous sound of horns, zithers, erhus and flutes. He lifted her arm for her to twirl and land gracefully back into his arms. After a short while, she heard the sounds of other feet stepping in to join them, but she only had eyes for Zuko in that moment. The glare of the lanterns made everything more distant fade into darkness, while the Fire Lord’s eyes shone like gold. It seemed that every turn brought them closer, and she was becoming acutely aware of his warmth. 

His strong hands moved to her waist and lifted her effortlessly. A sudden laugh of pure pleasure in the moment bubbled up from deep inside her. As she opened her eyes and saw the crowd of faces turned towards them, smiling warmly at the two of them. Then she noted a pale face, like the face of the full moon, looking down at her. She turned and saw Aang watching them from atop the dais. 

Suddenly, doubt struck her like a thunderbolt. Was she hurting him somehow by dancing with Zuko? What if he had only asked to take a break from their relationship because he thought it would please her? She silently mouthed the words next dance? towards Aang, but whether he noticed or not he turned away from her. The next thing she knew, Katara was back on her feet and stumbling. Her distraction had caused her to miss a beat in their dance. 

“Everything alright?” Zuko drew out the question slowly, as if a spell had been broken around him.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just tired I guess. Can we go back to the table now?” She said, making an excuse. 

He nodded and led her back to her companions, her hand still held in his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo! The Zutara begins? And a bit of Tokka too? 
> 
> Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season this year :) this is my Christmas present to you!  
> Like what you are reading so far? Feel free to leave a comment!


	5. Iv

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note: the formatting got a little messed up when I was editing this and I didn't know how to fix it. Sorry for this chapter being a bit of an eye sore

The rest of the Avatar’s retinue arrived two days later, just before sunset. The large metal ship was no other than a former Fire Navy cruiser which had been gifted to the Earth King for his own use after the world was at peace. Fire Navy ships were often seen in the employ of important figures around the world, as they were perfect for time-sensitive diplomatic journeys between nations due to their swiftness. Coal and steam powered the vessels rather than oars and sails.

There was a flurry of activity for several hours into the night as nearly one hundred people disembarked from the ship and made their journey to the palace. For the first time since Zuko’s coronation as Fire Lord, members of all nations arrived on Fire Nation soil at the same time, including the newly minted Air Acolytes. Over the last few years Aang was leading a cultural revival of the Air Nomad beliefs and way of life. Although the acolytes were not airbenders, they had become the closest thing to a family to Aang since Team Avatar split up. 

Zuko, Aang and the rest of the group met the passengers as they disembarked. There were reunions, introductions, and even a few arguments abound as familiar faces strode out to meet them. Suki led a group of five Kyoshi warriors onto the dock and gave each of the four of them a hug. 

“It’s great to see you all again,” she said, grinning beneath her make-up. She turned to Sokka and kissed him on the cheek, his face turning as red as her lips.    
  
“It’s great to see you too, Suki,” Sokka said enthusiastically, his cheeks still flushed.    
  
“I heard that you’ve been doing some police work in the old colonies,” Zuko said seriously. The renown of the all-female warriors had grown steadily over the last five years, and Suki had been recognized as the leader of all Kyoshi Warrior chapters throughout the Earth Kingdom.   
  
“The United Republic of Nations, you mean,” she returned somewhat haughtily.    
  
He gave her an easy, neutral smile in return. “Of course. I helped create them, you’ll remember.”   
  
She simply rolled her eyes. Then said, “you should visit some time, you know. It would probably mean a lot to the Fire Nationals. They honor both you and Aang.”    
  
He bent his waist in a slight bow. “Perhaps I will, now that things are more settled here.” He had faced many trials as Fire Lord. He had survived multiple assassination attempts, including an attempted coup from his own sister, and nearly went to war with the Earth Kindom over the Fire Nation colonies, which had since coalessed into the United Republic. Things were finally beginning to settle down. Now for the first time since his coronation, he was making an effort to showcase the progress he had made.    
  
Suki and the warriors were forced to move on as more people began descending from the ship’s docking ramp.

The next to descend were about a dozen Air Acolytes. Of the growing order of monks and nuns, he had been informed that only Aang’s finest disciples were selected for this journey, in the interest of sparing space on the ship for other passengers who had business in or wished to visit the Fire Nation. The rest of the ship’s human cargo was made up of various dignitaries and nobles and their households who had tagged along for their own convenience.

The last to depart was the only representative of the Fire Nation aboard the ship, Ty Lee. She had been training with the Kyoshi warriors and living with the Air Acolytes in equal measure over the years.she did a cartwheel down the ship’s docking ramp and landed inches away from him

“Zuzu!” she cried delightedly, although she resisted embracing him immediately.

Hearing his sister’s old pet name for him caused a barely recognizable spasm of emotion to move through him, but he banished it with a wry smile.    
  
“Ty Lee, welcome home,” he said, pulling her into a brief hug. Now she took her cue to wrap her arms around him and squeeze. He choked slightly as the girl squeezed the air out of his lungs.   
  
The next day, the Avatar’s party as well as Zuko and his retainers set out in moose dragon carriages for the two-day journey across the Fire Nation’s main island. The carriages were small but luxurious covered wagons wherein each enclosed box could comfortably seat two passengers seated across from one another.    
  
Many of Aang’s Air Acolytes also trailed behind the main party on foot, as they sadly weren’t able to fly like their leader did. The sun shone down on the Fire Nation brightly that day, and Zuko did not envy the Air Acolytes’ shaved heads. By mid-morning those who did not bring head coverings had bright ears and crowns the color of fire lilies.   
  
Toph had declined the invitation to join them, apparently finding the challenge of the art gallery more seductive than a ride through the country. Sokka naturally paired up with Suki, while Aang declared that he would rather fly ahead of them to view the countryside from the sky. Zuko realized with some anxiety that he and Katara would be sharing a carriage for that day. He hadn’t spoken to her about anything more significant than the weather since their strangely intimate experience the other night. He felt that they had been mutually avoiding one another.   
  
The air inside his shared box with Katara was stifling from the close confines. Only two small windows allowed air to pass between them like an invisible curtain. Katara sipped at a nectar-like drink as she gazed out one of the windows. He knew that she was watching Aang on his blue-winged glider as he weaved amongst the clouds, crafting them into shape.    
  
He watched her watching the airbender for a time. She was wearing a Water Tribe summer tunic with accents of fluffy white fur on the cropped sleeves. It had a high neck which opened into a keyhole between her collar bones. Her ocean-deep eyes took in view, but somehow he sensed that she was far away in her mind.    
  
“It’s a dragon,” he said quietly, pulling her out of her reverie. “I can tell by the head.”

“What head?” Katara teased. His mind flashed back suddenly to memories of Ember Island with his family. He and his sister would lay on the grassy hillside near their summer home and argue about the shapes of clouds. He thought that Azula would contradict his interpretation just for the enjoyment of making him angry.    
  
“You’ll see when it's finished,” he said. There was a pause between them, as if both of them were trying to figure out their next statement.

They were coming upon a large walled compound nestled in between the farmland.    
  
“What’s that?” Katara asked, nodding towards the window. “It looks like Master Piandao’s estate, but I didn’t think he lived on the main island.” He hadn’t been aware that Katara had visited Piandao at his home before.

“That’s Mei’s fighting academy for non-benders,” he explained as more of the large compound came into view. The tops of several buildings became visible, including one large enough to be a dormitory.

Katara seemed to processed this. It was a well known fact that the Fire Lord hadn’t had Mai as his consort of a couple of years now, but he wondered if she knew that.   
  
She asked, “Were there many opportunities for girls to practice fighting during the war? It seemed that all the soldiers we ever fought and met outside of the Fire Nation were men.”

Zuko was a bit surprised by her question. “Actually, there were women in the Fire Nation’s home defense army, but almost all of the soldiers sent abroad were male. Don’t ask me why, it was Sozin who came up with that policy. Historically speaking, all firebenders were given military and combat training in both homefront defense and foreign warfare. Mai’s school is for non-benders, and is the first of its kind for women in almost a century,” he beamed proudly.

Her eyes grew wide as he explained, and she became keenly interested in the kind of cultural reforms that had been going on in his country over the past few years, many of which he was directly responsible for.    
  
Their conversation went on for the rest of that morning. Soon the lead waggoneer was calling their caravan to a halt so that the moose dragons could be given a water break. They could all use the opportunity to stretch their legs. Zuko let himself out of the carriage first. Then he offered her his hand to help her down. She hesitated before shaking her head and leaping down in a single bound. She landed awkwardly, twisting her ankle to one side. He instinctively caught her before she could stumble   
In her proximity, he couldn’t help but notice how the sun brought out gold and copper hues in her hair, which smelled faintly of the ocean. She was beautiful in whatever she wore, from her elaborate gown at the reception feast to her simple tunic today. Any man would be lucky to have the affection of Katara, he decided. He wondered not for the first time what had transpired between her and Aang.   
  
She mumbled a “thank-you” as she righted herself, testing her weight on her ankle gingerly. The approach of his captain of guards finally distracted him from his quiet observation of the Water Tribe girl. As he turned towards the man, he noticed Sokka approaching his sister, an expression of “we need to talk” written all over his face.   
  
The captain was discussing the logistics for the rest of the day’s journey when he overheard Katara’s angry shouts from a distance.

“...doesn’t get to tell me who I can or can’t spend time with just because he’s the Avatar, and neither do you in fact.”    
  
He stiffened. Was she talking about him? He looked around and noticed everyone milling around, apparently finding their boots and the dusty road beneath them very interesting. No-one looked at him or met his gaze.   
  
Did Sokka and possibly even Aang think...

Katara turned and stormed away from her brother before he could finish his thought. Everyone got back into motion, and it looked as though the moose dragons were being saddled up again and their party would be departing again shortly. Katara made a bee-line towards Suki. As they stood talking outside the carriage, Aang flew overhead and swooped in for a landing a few yards away from the group

“Do you like my picture?” he asked brightly.   
  
Zuko gazed at the sky for the first time since disembarking the carriage. What he saw caused him to stare open-mouthed in amazement. Although the wind was quickly undo-ing the airbenders labors, the sky was dominated by a cloud in the shape of a coiling dragon, its outstretched wings spanning the countryside below. The body curled beneath it, its tail disappearing behind the distant mountains like a plume of smoke from a volcano. It was an impressive sight.    
  
The three of them were chattering enthusiastically as he quietly approached them.    
  
“Would you like to ride with one of us?” Suki was saying as he came within earshot. 

“Actually, I was about to ask him if he’d like to join me,” Zuko said with a small apologetic tilt of his head. 

Aang looked chagrined as his gaze fell somewhere behind him. “I’d love to, but I promised I’d give the Air Acolytes a lesson as we walked today. I’ll try to spend time with all of you when we stop for the night, though.”

Zuko turned and saw the group of orange-clad monks descending from the crest of a hill behind them. He felt a tinge of guilt that the caravan wouldn’t even be stopping long enough for them to catch up. With a gust of wind Aang leapt into the air and glided towards them.    
  
Katara and Suki soon retired to their own caravan as the lead rider announced they would be setting off again shortly. He felt her eyes gazing at him briefly before she turned away.    
  
He had little time to wonder at this before a firm hand clutched his shoulder.    
  
“Well, that leaves you and me, buddy,” he heard Sokka say.    
  
For the rest of that afternoon, the Water Tribe man prattled on and on about his ideas for “improving” the machines built by the Fire Nation, which were now beginning to be distributed to the other nations.    
  
He was going on about some way to make the carriages they rode in more comfortable to ride in using some kind of spring apparatus when he noticed that they were approaching a row of people lined up along the roadside. They began to bow as his royal carriage passed them. He smiled. Most of them were women and young people - those who had their husbands, fathers and sons returned to them after he ended the Hundred Years War. They seemed to be the demographic most devoted to him from the beginning of his reign.   
  
He couldn’t help but notice a small group of men standing behind the mass of people, however. One spat as the carriage rolled past. Not everyone was thankful for the policies of the new Fire Lord.

\------

The caravan broke for camp near sunset. They had made it nearly all of the way across the island and were in the foothills of the coastal mountain range. The lush farmland of the island lowlands had given way to a dusty, rocky wilderness. Only scrub grass and stunted shrubs and trees scratched a meagre living from the thin topsoil. An energetic stream hurried past them, the waters rushing downhill towards the verdant farm fields. In the heat of summer, its cool, clear water was the only lifeline between a bountiful harvest and famine.

Katara was setting up her small personal Southern Water Tribe summer tent when Aang approached her in nothing but his trousers.    
  
“Hey, Katara. Can you help me carry water for the Air Acolytes camp?”

She looked up into his clear grey eyes. In the half darkness, they looked like two wells of water stained with dark ink. Something in those pools told her that he wanted to talk. “Sure, just a moment,” she said, crawling inside her sealskin tent for privacy. When she re-emerged, she was down to just her wraps and under shorts.

They walked upstream towards the small copse of bent trees where the Air Acolytes were setting up camp. Each had carried a small hammock with them, which were now being set up in ones and twos like a sailor’s barracks where there was enough space and strong enough trees to hold them. Apparently the Air Acolytes even slept in the air, when they could manage it.

Aang stopped in a space that was far enough from both camps where they needn’t fear being overheard. He looked into her eyes and smiled sheepishly. She was slightly surprised to see that he was a little bit taller than her now. He’d grown past her, and she hadn’t even noticed. Probably because they spent so much time in the company of others, or sitting down on Appa’s back.    
  
“I need to talk to you about the other night,” he admitted.

_ Whats with you and Zuko? You two seem to be more close than usual, and people are starting to notice. Even Aang has noticed  _ she heard her brother’s voice in her head once again.    
  
“What about it?” she asked, a hint of indignation accidentally slipping into her tone. Where had that come from?

“It's no big deal,” Aang raised his hand, as if fending off a blow. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry I didn’t want to dance with you. I’m still not sure how I feel about… things.”

By “things” he meant the space that had grown between them during the past few months. They hadn’t noticed that it had snuck up on them and wriggled its way right in the middle of their relationship, but it had. Although they had both known it was there, they weren’t willing to acknowledge it for a while. Until they did, right before this trip to the Fire Nation.

Katara let go of the breath she had been holding. “It's okay, Aang. I just thought that you’d have fun dancing, is all. I didn’t mean to pressure you or anything.”

The airbender smiled down at her. “Thanks, Katara. I’m glad you’re always easy to talk to.”

“Unlike a certain other Southern Water Tribe person we know?” she asked with a smirk. A look of uneasiness passed over him.

Before they could talk any more about it, one of the Air Acolytes had spotted them and was walking over to see what the delay was with the water.

After helping Aang set up his camp, she decided to wander further up the river for a while. She wasn’t ready to spend time with her other friends just now. She thought about Aang, and the short conversation they had just shared. If there truly was no hard feelings between them, then why did she continue to feel guilty? For nearly five years, the world had seen her as “the Avatar’s girlfriend”. Could they see her as anything differently now? Would she forever be defined by her relationship with Aang? And if not, how did she see herself? Who did she wish to be? The rocky landscape of the swiftly flowing river melted away into the background as these questions filled her mind. If it were not for the line of the riverbank she might have wandered aimlessly and gotten lost.

After a while - was it only a few minutes? Or had she accidentally wandered for an hour? - she decided to rest. The moon was only a sliver of pale light above her, the stars seemed to shine all the more brightly for the waning of their rival in the night sky. The night of the summer solstice would also be a new moon, she realized. Her waterbending would be at its weakest.    
  
Despite the fact that the sun had set hours ago, the night air seemed warm and balmy. After her uphill walk, she decided to take a quick dip in the water. It was pleasantly cool and seemed to soothe her furrowed brow as she fully submerged herself in its depths. She opened her eyes and found that the mountain-fed stream was as clear as glass. The soft light of the moon and stars danced on the water’s surface above her. She saw the bright flash of scales in the moonlight as small fish darted away from her. When she surfaced, she felt her weary mind let go of its worries. She decided to let herself float down the river for a while. Maybe it could carry her all the way to camp.

When she opened her eyes again, she found that she was deep underwater. Had she accidentally fallen asleep and let herself float down a tributary stream into a lake somewhere? Panic began to rise in her throat as she searched in vain for the water’s surface. Suddenly, the blackness below her began to shift and flow beneath her. It seemed like a great serpent uncoiling below her. Two menacing eyes like twin yellow suns opened on a formless head. She gasped, and her lungs filled with water. The eyes pierced her own as she began to struggle away from them.

“Katara!”

Suddenly a hand appeared around her arm and pulled her out of the water. She coughed and felt liquid spill from her open mouth as she struggled for air. A firm hand was pounding on her back, causing her to expel more water. Finally she gasped in a full breath. There was hard soil beneath her. Someone spoke beside her.

“Katara, are you alright? What happened?” It was Zuko’s voice, she realized with a shock.

She tried to speak, failed, coughed again and tried once more. “I don’t know,” she said hoarsely, “I think I fell asleep.”

“Well, that was some dream you must have been having,” Zuko said, his hand still resting on her back between her shoulder blades. “When I found you, you were covered in ice.”

Suddenly she felt the cold. How had she not noticed it before? She suppressed a violent shiver and bent the cold water out of her clothes and off of her body. It splashed to the ground around her.

Zuko helped her stand up. His hands - one on her back, the other clasped in hers as he pulled her to her feet, were blessedly warm. “Come to my tent, we can talk about it over tea.”

She was about to protest until he mentioned tea. She nodded and began to follow him back towards camp. Zuko gave the air acolytes camp a wide berth. Apparently no-one had realized that Katara had wandered off, or if they did they hadn’t suspected that anything might be wrong. Zuko told her that he had just stumbled across her while taking a walk. Evidently she wasn’t the only person who needed to clear their head.    
  
He silently led her to the back of his grand tent. She saw that the shelter must have different compartments - this room was smaller than the total area of the outside. They were alone in the space, but she could hear other voices coming from elsewhere within the camp. Katara sat herself on a cushion near a small brazier, which was the sole source of light in the room. The warmth was subtle, but Katara thawed her still stiff fingers by its light while her companion worked on the tea nearby. The firebender didn’t need a camping stove to heat the kettle. She was sitting comfortably, wrapped in a light red robe which the firebender had offered her. He did not try to get an explanation out of her about how he had found her back up the river until she had taken a few sips of the steaming beverage.

“Tell me what happened,” he stated plainly. In the light of the rekindled brazier, his eyes were like two golden suns.  _ Like the eyes in my dream _ , she thought involuntarily. But she sensed no menace from the man, just intense interest and maybe a bit of concern.

She left out the part about Aang and skipped to where she decided to take a walk to clear her head, and thought that going for a swim might help. “The next thing I remember is the dream. I was under water…”

“You don’t say,” Zuko interrupted with a hint of a smile.

“No, this was different. In my dream the water was vast and deep, like I was near the bottom of the sea. And below me there was a…” she broke off, shaking her head. “I don’t know, some kind of monster I guess. It opened its eyes and I tried to get away. Then you were pulling me out of the water.”

Zuko said nothing for what felt like a long while. Then as he was about to speak, the head of Liu Bang appeared between the tent flaps behind them.    
  
“My lord, I-” he interrupted himself when he saw them sitting near each other. He knelt to his hands and knees, saying “forgive me my lord, I didn’t realize you had an overnight guest-”

“She’s not staying!”

“I’m not staying!”

They said it at the same time, then avoided looking at one another. Katara felt her cheeks grow hot, and it was not just from the brazier.  _ Great _ , she thought.  _ Just another thing for people to talk about. _

“That’s okay, I was just leaving,” she said, standing quickly. The robe fell in a red puddle at her feet. Liu Bang bowed and excused himself.

Zuko cleared his throat. “You can keep the robe, if you’d like.” He looked at the ground - was he blushing?

“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Thanks for the tea.” Although the soft silk garment had been welcome, she didn’t want to throw more kindling into the fire of rumor. 

He nodded, looking past her. She fled to her tiny shelter and didn’t leave it again until morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay, hopefully a longer chapter will make up for it? This chapter was fully written before Christmas but I went back and did some serious editing, including changing the perspective in the first part of the chapter to Zuko's point of view. 
> 
> Also, I'm going through a lot in real life at the moment so there may be another delay between now and the next chapter. I appreciate your understanding.
> 
> As always, please let me know how you felt about this chapter in the comments. How's the pacing so far? I've been reading a lot of Zutara "slow burns" lately and I'm taking a leaf from that book :) prepare for the ANGST !

**Author's Note:**

> When I read The Rise of Kyoshi and its sequel, I got sucked into the Avatar world again. And what can I do but watch the whole series again and rekindle my love for my favorite ship?
> 
> No worries, this time I have something special in mind for you all. Already Part I is nearly complete. Expect updates about weekly from this point on. Also! I'm a bit rusty on my writing, but I think its gotten better since I've been reading a lot more recently. Still, feedback is always appreciated!


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